Rothschild’s Antiques Relocating to Olive Street in Central West End After 43 Years

After 43 years, Sunday will mark the last day for the landmark Rothschild's Antiques at the corner of McPherson and Eulcid in the city's Central West End. The new location at 4528 Olive Street, just a couple blocks away and near Bowood Farms and Cafe Osage was tipped by nextSTL late last week. In a press release, Rothchild's announced it will hold an online auction of the entire inventory of the existing store. The location will soon become Gringo, a taco restaurant planned by Pi Pizzeria founders Chris Sommers and Frank Uible.

“This location has meant so much to me over the years, and I’m deeply saddened to be closing after 43 years in business,” Rothschild said in the press release. “But as the antiques business is changing, we are evolving as well, and it’s time to bring new blood into this part of the Central West End to continue the successful growth the neighborhood is experiencing.”

{existing Rothschild's Antiques location at McPherson and Euclid}

Owner Pete Rothschild plans to invest $600,000 to restore the 16,000 square-foot 1920s warehouse on Olive. In addition to becoming an antique store, part of the new space will be rented to other craftspeople and artisans in related businesses such as furniture repair and refinishing, upholstering, picture framing, embroidering, and furniture making.

The relocation could bolster the emerging revitalization of Olive in the Central West End. Across the street, a largely in-tact collection of historic storefronts await a new vision. Bowood Farms has found success with its expanding plant nursery and Cafe Osage and a former city school has been converted in lofts.

{Olive street opposite 4528 Olive}

{Bowood Farms and Cafe Osage have achored 4500 Olive for several years}

{residential projects on Olive include this former public school building}

Full press release:

ST. LOUIS (Oct. 24, 2012) — Rothschild’s Antiques & Home Furnishings will close Sunday and auction all of its inventory in preparation for a move to a new location at 4528 Olive Blvd. in the Central West End.

Pete Rothschild, who opened the store at 398 N. Euclid Ave. in 1969, will rent the 5,000-square-foot antique-store space to Gringo taco restaurant, which is planned by Pi Pizzeria founders Chris Sommers and Frank Uible for 2013.

“This location has meant so much to me over the years, and I’m deeply saddened to be closing after 43 years in business,” Rothschild said. “But as the antiques business is changing, we are evolving as well, and it’s time to bring new blood into this part of the Central West End to continue the successful growth the neighborhood is experiencing.”

The inventory at the current store will be offered by early December for auction online at stlouis-auctions.com. St. Louis auctioneer Eric Iman will conduct the auction, which will run for 21 days.

“This is the most prominent antique store auction ever in the St. Louis area,” Iman said. “Rothschild’s has a national following and reputation.”

Proceeds from the sale will fund the opening of Rothschild’s new location, a historic 16,000-square-foot warehouse a few blocks away near Bowood Farms store. Part of the space will be rented to other craftspeople and artisans in related businesses such as furniture repair and refinishing, upholstering, picture framing, embroidering, and furniture making.

“This space will become a resource for people looking for antiques, furnishings and related items and services. It will continue the renaissance of this section of the Central West End,” Rothschild said.

Rothschild plans to invest $600,000 for a historic renovation of the 1920s-era warehouse, which was part of the filming of the 1993 Steven Soderbergh film “King of the Hill.” Rothschild has owned the former tobacco warehouse for decades and used it to store antiques over the years.

“This will really give the area a boost and help support the development that is already underway,” Rothschild said.

The Rothschild’s store, at North Euclid and McPherson avenues, has won multiple awards over the years including being named the best antiques store in America in the February 1974 issue of Esquire magazine. Many celebrities shopped at Rothschild’s over the years: Designer Nate Berkus; singer Sheryl Crow; supermodel Karlie Kloss; pianist Liberace; singers Carly Simon and Janis Joplin; comedians Jerry Lewis and Flip Wilson, bands the Grateful Dead and Charlie Daniels Band; and actors Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, who invited Rothschild to lunch after her shopping expedition.

“This corner of St. Louis has more than just a little bit of history attached to it and I’ve loved every minute of the time I’ve spent there. It’s absolutely the best corner of St. Louis,” Rothschild said.

About Alex Ihnen

Alex is the owner and editor of nextSTL.com. He earned a B.A. in Journalism and Masters in Public Affairs at Indiana University and has studied in Adelaide, Australia and Perugia, Italy. Alex can be found on Twitter @alexihnen and reached at alex@nextstl.com